A Night At The Gala

Part 4: Avoidance is a Sport

Iggy has yet to get through to either of his friends. He has come to realize that both Helen and Max are very good at Hide n' Seek and he is not so good with the seeking part. He has been up and down this hospital all week tracking them, calling them, stalking their offices- but nothing has been successful. He isn't too sure they are even in the building.

Walking into the E.D, Iggy spots Lauren conversing with Casey. He examines them before approaching and notices that they both seem...close. Like closer than normal. Like so close it's intimate. This is something he would love to explore deeper, but has no time at the moment. When Lauren sees him approaching, she shoves Casey a bit to move him away from her.

"Iggy! What brings you to the great E.D this morning?" The E.D isn't crowded at all and the down time has obviously lent itself to personal affairs.

"It's quiet in here? Are your nurses and staff still going through testing?" He heard that Max made a huge statement to Nyler about the opioid pandemic and has since shut down the E.D to train everyone for being able to administer a safer drug. He thought it was a joke, but looking around, he can see that it is anything but. The beds are empty. There are no other doctor's on the floor and Lauren and Casey are literally just standing around.

"Yep. Had one patient three days ago for our  Palliative Care Unit, but other than that- this is what I'm working with." They look around and see the empty space that Max has given them. "I get what Max is thinking, but if we keep rerouting patients to Baptiste, we're gonna have a bigger problem than just opioids."

"Speaking of Max, has he seemed..."

"Like an angry elf? Yes." Casey says and Lauren agrees.

"The last few days I have been trying to find him to figure out what's going on and he's playing a big game of hide n seek with me...and he's winning. Helen too. Both are freaking me out with their bizarre grumpy attitudes." Being a psychologist, Iggy would be more than happy to examine both his friends' minds so he can help them, but their illusive ways have thrown him through a concerned loop.

"Do you think this has something to do with Castro's case? Maybe they both know something and don't want the opportunity to slip up and say something." Lauren theorizes and Iggy shakes his head.

"No, this isn't about the case, well at least not all of it. This has to do with something else. Helen said she was leaving by the end of this week and Max has apparently told her he doesn't want her here. So something major is going on."

"Man, those two are thicker than thieves, why are they fighting?" Casey jumps up and sits on the tall counter, looking down at both doctors. It isn't often he gets the chance to relax at work and chat with the doctors.

"All I got out of Helen was they had an argument or something- and Max told her to leave. That he didn't want her here. Obviously, she got upset and now feels like she needs to leave the Dam and go back to London." Their faces drop at Iggy's information.

"Sharpe can't leave! Why would Max say that?" Casey, the loveable tattooed Army vet is so shocked that he doesn't even know what the proper response is. He's known Helen for almost 4 years now and has never had a reason not to like her or not take her side. It's not that he doesn't like Max, it's just that from what Max said, he seems like a real dick.

"Helen must have said something to him first." Iggy states, trying to stay neutral, but the sides become split.

"So you're saying Helen's to blame? You think what Max said is okay?" Making her side clear, Lauren glowers at Iggy with dagger eyes.

"That's not what I said..."

"But you're thinking it. You've always been team Max. Ever since he came, you have been on his side for everything. What a joke. I thought you were Helen's friend?"